1
as in geek
a person slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits
was such a nerd in college that she spent Saturday nights at the library
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intellectual
a person with strong intellectual interests
an unlikely romance between a nerd and a campus beauty queen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cerebral
much given to learning and thinking
a fringe party of nerdy political activists who have no chance of getting elected
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nerd
James Marcus, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Most of us would settle for Lucozade and a duvet on the settee, but Howe is Newcastle’s king nerd.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Israel Producers: Medalia Productions, Above the Clouds Topline: Drama about how an ultra-Orthodox tech nerd became the head of the drug empire.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 19 May 2025
Listen to insightful lectures, marvel at the cosmos and nerd out with fellow astrophiles.
—Sarah Kuta, Denver Post, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerd
Noun
Fuller, like many a brilliant nerd, was initially awkward with her peers.
—James Marcus, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Most of us would settle for Lucozade and a duvet on the settee, but Howe is Newcastle’s king nerd.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Israel Producers: Medalia Productions, Above the Clouds Topline: Drama about how an ultra-Orthodox tech nerd became the head of the drug empire.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 19 May 2025
Listen to insightful lectures, marvel at the cosmos and nerd out with fellow astrophiles.
—Sarah Kuta, Denver Post, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerd
Noun
-
Owner David Rubenstein needs to get rid of Elias (maybe Cal Ripken Jr. would agree to the job) and get baseball people instead of computer geeks to run the team.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
22 May 2025
-
Jon Cherry/Getty Images For years, crypto was viewed by many as a weird and fringe investment, hyped up by a bunch of math geeks and used widely by all kinds of unsavory characters, from drug dealers to hackers.—
Rafael Nam,
NPR,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
And then the Bloomsbury Group, the influential circle of British artists, writers, and intellectuals from the early 20th century.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
3 June 2025
-
This assumption stemmed from its inclusion in a lineage of English intellectuals with roots among the Clapham Saints.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
With Mercury in its sign of rulership, Gemini, the mercurial effects become strengthened, as the messenger planet is all the more curious, adaptable and savvy when transiting this cerebral Air sign.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
29 May 2025
-
McCutchen said the next step in Cruz’s evolution is to go beyond his physical tools, and develop an instinctive, cerebral understanding of the sport.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nerd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerd. Accessed 21 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share